Advent
by Henry
Summary: Giovanni is going after the sixth piece needed, while Henry the Fallen Master pursues the man from the future, and Cap and friends have a pair of legendary birds to deal with... Fourth in the 'Six Pokemon' series.


**Advent**

By Henry and Nate Z

_Oak Research Laboratory, Pallet Town_

Professor Samuel Oak flew backwards, his Pidgeot and Chansey lying unconscious on the laboratory floor, and his books and notes scattered after the brief conflict.

The man who'd defeated Oak's two Pokemon recalled the powerful fire type and turned his attention to the older researcher. "It's been a while since we last met, hasn't it, Oak?" he asked. "Not since you left the league to enter this inefficient and out-of-date lab."

Oak glared at him. "Better life in a lab than a life of insanity, Giovanni!"

Giovanni laughed. "Is it insanity, Oak? I only want to use my Pokemon for what they were intended to do."

"Pokemon are not tools of war, Giovanni!" Oak replied. "The reason you continue to fail in your insane ambition is because you don't understand that!"

"It doesn't matter what your opinion is," Giovanni snorted. "All I want from you are facts; the things a good researcher should be spouting off instead of some outdated, useless ideology."

Giovanni strolled over to Oak's undamaged machines. "I need you to give me the location of the ninth of the Sevii Islands, as you were the one who charted the two remaining rocks."

"Ninth island?" Oak repeated. "You don't mean-?"

Giovanni smiled. "I have to see it for myself. Give me the coordinates or I'll destroy all of your precious research. For all your protégés and their Pokemon, I doubt even one of them will ever have a 'complete' PokeDex."

Oak continued to steadily glare at him.

"This is a simple ultimatum, Professor," Giovanni told him. "Assuredly a man as smart as yourself can see the benefit to giving out some information, considering the consequences?"

Oak took several more seconds and then gave the words. Giovanni smiled and exited, taking a moment to casually glance over his shoulder.

"I don't want to seem rude, so I'll give you some information in exchange," Giovanni said simply. "While I was in Hoenn, I happened upon two rivals, one of whom you're intimately familiar with."

Oak raised an eyebrow ever so slightly.

"Your adopted son, and my lost operative," Giovanni continued. "Henry."

Oak seemed confused. "I'm not surprised he tried to stop you. After what you did to his family, I can hardly blame him."

It was Giovanni's turn to seem confused, but he didn't betray this to Oak. "Just thought I'd point it out…" And then he left, exiting on Charizard's back and flying to Cinnabar to meet with his accomplice.

_Oak has already met with Henry? Impossible; last I saw my old friend he was still on the run, and Oak isn't the type to consort with wanted criminals._

_Something is out of place here…_

Maxie glanced up at the sky as the Team Rocket leader descended and joined his ally in their boat alongside what few Rocket grunts they could convince to accompany them, heading out into the dark seas.

"I assume you got the location, then?" Maxie asked.

"I did," Giovanni nodded. "It's pretty far out to sea, but it won't be hard for us to locate."

"And whatever will we find there?" Maxie inquired.

Giovanni smiled. "The sixth Pokemon."

_Cerulean City…_

There had been too much waiting in the cave, concealing from the public eye. Even as far away as Giovanni was, the malicious mind and desire for power reached the gloomy cavern floor.

Without further ado a streak of energy burst forth into the night sky, pursuing the man who'd created it.

Used it.

Betrayed it.

And had to pay for it.

_Blackthorn City…_

The man in the icy blue mask leapt from the Dragon's Den, Henry and Clair in tight pursuit, just as he landed atop the head of a massive creature, descending from the sky at its master's call.

"Lugia again," Henry noted.

"Lugia?" Clair repeated. "The legendary beast from the Whirl Islands?"

"Hell if I know," Henry replied. "But I think it's time to call in the big guns." Henry leapt up, opening a Pokeball and riding up on the back of his Pidgeot, reaching for another creature. Clair followed his example and released one of her Dragonairs and hopped onto the back of her Kingdra, leading the two back towards the city as the man in the mask ascended higher upon Lugia's head.

"Lugia, destroy this city!" the masked man instructed. "Destroy the Blackthorn City gym leader and the fallen master alike!"

Henry rode his Pidgeot higher, aiming for the icy blue mask on the man's face as he readied the appropriate Pokeball. Lugia opened its mouth, charging energy for an Aeroblast.

"Kingdra, Twister! Dragonair, Ice Beam!" Clair instructed. Henry's Pidgeot slid to one side as the tornado and the blast of ice struck Lugia, and the large beast shuddered ever so slightly.

Henry opened the Pokeball. "Mew, now!"

The tiny psychic cat shot forth and slammed its small head into the man's mask, and combining its considerable psychic powers with the force of its attack, sent him tumbling down from the beast's head and careening down into the water outside the Dragon's Den.

It's master suddenly absent, the Lugia reacted. It began to thrash about, firing off Aeroblasts into the air, releasing deafening roars. Clair ordered her dragons to attack, as Henry, Mew, and Pidgeot sailed after the masked man, hovering above the water as he surfaced.

"Time to talk," Henry instructed simply, reaching for the man's mask as he thrashed about in the water, pulling back…

…beneath it he saw an old man, gasping for air, barely able to stay afloat, even in the calm waters around the Dragon's Den.

"What the-?" Henry began.

"Look out!" he heard Clair call, but Mew was ahead of her. The tiny psychic type put up a Light Screen to deflect a torrent of water from Lugia's mouth, as the pressurized burst of liquid fell away, landing harmlessly away from the Pokemon and its trainer.

Henry lifted the old man up atop Pidgeot and leapt to the shore at the water's edge, turning his attention to the rampaging Lugia. He thought perhaps he could simply subdue it, but a better option presented itself, as he spotted a familiar object nestled in the old man's heavy black cloak.

Henry thrust up the silver feather. "Lugia, go back beneath the sea! Return to the ocean!"

Lugia paused it's rampage instantaneously. It cast a curious glance at Henry before flying away, just in time to miss being sighted by townspeople. Clair glanced at him, before turning her attention to the man lying on his Pidgeot's back.

"Pryce?" Clair asked. "The Mahogany Town gym leader?"

Henry glanced at her. "Say what?"

Pryce –as he'd been called- leaned upwards, coughing. "Clair…I'm sorry I disappointed you, child. He told me he'd make me young again, if only I'd obey him…"

"Who made this offer?" Henry asked.

"I…I don't remember," Pryce replied. "I was on the verge of death…I was prepared to accept anything."

Clair glanced at Pryce. He did indeed seem younger than she recalled, but only by a few years at most; he was still very old and appeared quite feeble.

Henry snarled. "Lance is up to his old tricks again, I see," he pocketed the silver feather and stalked away, recalling his Pidgeot and letting the old man hit the ground with a sickening thud.

Clair glared at him, trying to decide which insult to fling out first: "What did you do that for? What did you say about Lance?"

"Stow it," Henry instructed, heading towards the Pokemon Center. "I have important matters to deal with."

Clair continued to shout things after him, but Henry made no effort to reply as he exchanged a few creatures from his In Box once he'd reached the Pokemon Center, as his Lapras and his Kangaskhan were replaced by Quagsire and Mightyena.

"It's time to play to my strengths."

_Cap's Family Farm…_

Nate had been snoozing while the young Azrael took a well deserved nap. The sound of a transfer caught his attention and Nate turned to the devices as certain creatures from storage made their journey. While Cap's storage system was still located at Oak's research lab, Henry, Sharon, and Melody had all placed their Pokemon in the house once the system had all been set up… their missing friend had captured a lot of Pokemon, but had kept only twelve in storage recently… and now it seemed he'd made a transfer from the Blackthorn City Pokemon Center.

With the news, Nate rushed to the phone, tripping over himself as he hastened to get the word to Cap and company…

_Birth Island_

Giovanni's plan was complete. His scientists had set up the machine as instructed, and his loyal grunts were on hand to attack the creature if it managed to escape from his clutches (though he hardly expected them to subdue it; maybe annoy it a little). Giovanni waved his arm and began his simple instruction.

"Begin."

At once the Pokemon of his minions attacked the tiny, crystalline triangle on the already triangular island's center. Fire, sand, claw, water, poisonous barb… all struck in equal parts. For several seconds the black triangle did not react… until it glowed a bright red and began to expand outward, an entirely new body forming from within… hands, tentacles, spindly legs and a triangular head…

"Now!" Giovanni ordered, as the creature was finishing its form. His scientists bombarded the creature with their electric Pokemon, constantly striking with Thunder Waves to slow its transformation, to hold it steady just long enough…

Giovanni dropped his Pokeball on the creature after a few minutes of the process. Though unknown to the capture device, Deoxys was eventually sucked inside and the ball shook, trying to contain its massive power. It rolled once…twice…

Giovanni smiled and lifted the still rocking Pokeball, clutching it in his palm. "That's it…resist me… grow stronger. Let your desire to be free grow and consume you."

The creature within resisted. The sphere grew warm as the Pokemon within it discharged the electricity it had been struck with right back out. Giovanni took the pain with a sadistic grin.

"Yes… you're exactly what I expected!"

_Somewhere in Johto_

"Are we there yet?"

"No Sandslash."

"Why the #$ not?"

Cap just sighed and continued walking.

"So," Lisa said calmly from her place at his side, "what was Will talking about?"

Cap screamed silently, though he didn't show it. "What do you mean?"

"What did he mean when he said you'd get all the women of the house to yourself?"

"Oh come on, you know me better than that. He was just grasping for straws since Umbreon prevented him from getting a proper reading on me."

"But you do love Sharon and Melody."

"Of course," Cap said without hesitation.

Lisa froze. "Not what I was expecting to hear."

Cap stopped and sighed. "Lisa, they're my family. Are you telling me you don't love your parents?"

"No, but I didn't used to date them."

"And that's why me and Melody didn't work. I love her to death, but it was like dating my sister. My immature, headstrong, little sister."

"I can hear you!" Melody shouted from a few feet ahead.

"What about Sharon?" Lisa demanded, ignoring the other girl. "In your book--"

"I was twelve!" Cap exclaimed. "And, well, look at her!"

Lisa crossed her arms across her chest and glared at him.

"Anyone have any popcorn?" Sandslash asked.

Aipom nodded.

Both trainers recalled their Pokémon before continuing.

"Seriously, Lisa, you can't deny Sharon's hotness. Now, imagine her five years younger, long before she was ever pregnant."

"In case you noticed," Lisa said slowly, "this isn't helping."

"I'm getting there. Now, imagine you're a twelve year old boy who's just started noticing breasts."

"...Okay, I'll give you that one. But what about now?"

"More than five years of being watched over and protected like a helpless little brother...well, that's how I began to see myself. As her little brother. So, naturally, I began to see her as my over protective big sister."

Lisa considered this. "So, you don't..."

"I'd rather eat my own vomit."

"Love you too, _bro!_" Melody shouted.

Lisa smiled and the two embraced and shared a quick kiss.

"Now, that Karen on the other hand," Cap smirked.

"Shut up!" Lisa shot back, playfully shoving him

Just then, Cap's PokéGear began ringing.

"Hello? Whoa, Nate, slow down! Is everything...What? He did? Blackthorn? Okay, okay, we'll get right on it. Thanks!"

"What was that?" Sharon asked.

"Henry accessed the storage system on the farm," Cap replied. "The Pokémon were sent to Blackthorn City."

"Then let's go!" Melody shouted.

Cap shook his head. "You three go on. Me and Lisa will continue on to Ecruteak. We need get our secret weapon ASAP."

Sharon nodded and she and Melody took off on Trogdor the Charizard, while Silver followed with his Crobat… but dropped back into the city once he was out of sight from the other four.

"Are you sure splitting up is a good idea?" Lisa asked.

"No," Cap sighed, "but we really do need something to combat Lugia, and maybe this will force the enemy to split its resources too. That can only be a good thing, right?"

_Blackthorn City_

Upon landing, Sharon immediately began asking the townsfolk what had happened and if they'd seen anyone matching Henry's description. Melody however, found herself running to the Gym. Both were indifferent to Silver's absence.

Riding on her Kingdra, she made her way to the Dragon's Den, Trogdor knocking back the guards as they tried to stop her. She forced back tears when she saw the wreckage that had once been the Shrine, but efforts were lost when she saw who Nurse Joy and two other doctors were examining.

"Sensei!" she cried, leaping from Queen's back. She ignored the EMT's requests for her to stand back and took the old man's hand. "Sensei, what happened?"

"Ma'am, please..."

The young man drifted off as when Melody pulled out her flute and began to play. Slowly the old man stirred and began to open his eyes.

"So, the little diva finally came back to pay us a visit?" he said weakly.

"I've been busy," Melody said with a sad smile. "But Andre's been really wanting to see you."

_Ecruteak City PokéMart_

"Welcome!" Clerk Janet greeted happily. "How may I help you?"

"You're highest grade of Pokéball," Cap said.

"Certainly! How many would you like?"

"Your entire stock," Cap replied, dropping a credit card on the counter. "I'm going birding."

Not altogether too far away, Silver waited by the burnt ruins of an old tower. It was all vaguely familiar to him… he'd been there months earlier, searching for a legendary Pokemon to add to his team, back when he still cherished his ambition to become the world's greatest Pokemon trainer.

He had been only too willing to follow Cap's instructions most of the time, but after the message Lance had passed down to him, Silver had every intention of waiting for him in Ecruteak, regardless of how long it'd take the Dragon Master to arrive from Hoenn.

He waited, knowing it entirely possible Cap and Lisa might return there in their search for Ho-Oh, but instead he was greeted by-

"I remember you," Morty said simply. "The boy Silver, with the Croconaw and the big chip on his shoulder."

Silver cast only a casual glance at the gym leader, despite the consistent pleasantry. "What do you want?"

"Just came to see what you were doing here," Morty explained. "Especially since you planned on getting my badge and then leaving town more or less forever after."

Silver nodded. "That was my plan, until I heard a certain legendary bird hung out around here."

Morty paused. "You're looking for Ho-Oh?"

Silver shook his head. "No. A friend of mine is; I think he's going to the Tin Tower now."

Morty said nothing more and sped off. Silver narrowed his gaze as Morty passed and spotted a slight flash in his shirt pocket; seven colors in an instant.

A tiny feather.

_Birth Island_

Giovanni watched with at least _some_ level of patience as the Pokeball was bombarded by the laser beams and his scientists were hard at work measuring the results. Though Giovanni had a console before him depicting the creature's transformation from its half-formed state into a new, more complete being and subtly altering its form several times, he preferred to focus on the simple sphere sitting in the device his men had set up.

Maxie glared at him. "And why, exactly, is this particular creature of so much value to you?"

Giovanni only smiled. He continued to stare at the Pokeball, eagerly awaiting the creature's completion…

"Giovanni, we've got incoming!" one of the Rockets yelled. Giovanni immediately grasped the Pokeball and pulled it from the laser, ignoring the searing pain as the beam sliced through his hand.

And for good reason, too- the machine was broken to pieces as a massive sphere of dark energy broke through onto the island, scattering his Rocket grunts and scientists, sending them, their Pokemon, and what remained of their machines flying out over the ocean.

Maxie was alert at once and drew a Pokeball. "What was it?"

Giovanni did not answer. He looked up to the sky, and smiled.

The creature descended, vaguely humanoid but for the long tail and horn-like ears, and the three-balled fingers, already forming a new sphere between its hands, charging the energy for a renewed attack, upon sighting its target.

"It's been a while, Mewtwo," Giovanni observed. "Did you miss me?"

_**You can no longer be tolerated,**_ was Mewtwo's curt reply. _**Too many have already paid for your insane ambitions.**_

"This is why you needed me, Mewtwo," Giovanni told him. "You never had a good understanding of business; the cost is never too high when someone else is paying for you."

Mewtwo sneered. _**You will never learn. Fortunately, I can stop you here and spare people and Pokemon alike from your madness.**_

Giovanni laughed heartily. "I financed your creation because I believed nothing in nature could match a creature specifically bred for combat, even if you were little more but a pitiful shadow of Mew."

Mewtwo flinched and charged more power into its Shadow Ball.

"But I was wrong," Giovanni said. "I found a creature stronger even than you." He seemed somewhat hesitant but opened the Pokeball. "Go, Deoxys!"

The creature emerged –red and green- and shook its newly-formed head, smaller with two triangular protrusions, and its arms transformed into four powerful tendrils, and that crystal in its chest slowly pulsating as it awaited instruction.

Mewtwo released the Shadow Ball. Deoxys flew backwards, the dark energy exploding, smoke rising to conceal the creature. It gave no cry of pain; but it was nowhere to be seen as the attack subsided.

_**It seems you made a poor investment,**_ Mewtwo observed.

Maxie was fully prepared to agree with the psychic type, but Giovanni remained as calm as ever. "Psycho Boost," was the Team Rocket commander's simple instruction.

Deoxys lifted up from the rocky debris, seemingly unharmed, and charged energy between its four tendrils and from the crystal in its chest and fired a blast of energy straight at Mewtwo.

Mewtwo extended one hand and created a Barrier, but struggled to hold it after only a few seconds, as the cloned Pokemon eventually flew back, its protective field shattered and the relentless energy attack still pursuing it.

Maxie was impressed against his will. Giovanni was far from done. "Now then; should we start playing for real?"

_Blackthorn City…_

Sharon glanced around for Melody or Silver. Spotting neither, and based on the lack of eyewitness accounts, she swore audibly and headed into the gym.

Clair, the gym leader, seemed to have been waiting for her. "You're the one looking for Henry the Fallen Master?"

Sharon nodded. "Yeah. Mind telling me how you know that?"

"We've met your friend," Clair explained. "We can't seem to remove her from the old man's bed side."

"Sister," Sharon corrected. "And do you mean the old master? What happened?"

"The Dragon's Den was attacked by a man--"

"In a blue mask? In control of Lugia?"

"...Yes."

"Take me to them," Sharon commanded.

Clair was more than a bit annoyed at being ordered around in her own Gym, but the tone in Sharon's voice and look in her eyes told the Leader that she had better do as she was told. Gesturing for the younger woman to follow.

They made they're way to the back area of the Gym, to what seemed to be a luxury suite, where the Elder Master lay in a bed, connected to a series of machines. Melody was at his side, playing a soothing song on her flute while a Dragonite watched over the both of them.

"He's stable," Clair said, nodding to the old man. "His injuries were rather serious, but he's much tougher than he looks."

"I'll bet," Sharon agreed as her gaze turned to the other side of the room, where another older man lay in a separate bed, heavily restrained.

"Pryce, the Leader of the Mahogany Town Gym," Clair explained. "The man behind the mask."

Sharon spun around and stared at her. "What?"

Clair smiled slightly at her disbelief, but then recapped what happened with Pryce, Henry herself and Lugia. Sharon absorbed all this silently before muttering a single phrase.

"I hate thickening plots."

_Tin Tower_

"Anything?" Lisa asked.

Cap watched as his Espeon and Umbreon paced around the Tower, seemingly on edge. However, aside from the occasional Rattata and HootHoot, they found nothing.

"No," he finally sighed. "Dammit, I could've sworn I saw that thing here were I rescued those two..."

Lisa raised her eyebrow at this. "You know...you didn't have any Eevee evolutions in your book. Did you catch 'em afterwards?"

Both Pokémon stopped at this and looked at Lisa. Espeon looked annoyed while Umbreon seemed curious and scared.

"You...could say that," Cap said nervously.

"Or you could," Lisa pressed. "C'mon, spill!"

Luckily for Cap and his two companions, a distraction came in the form of footsteps. Everyone instantly went into defensive stances and did not lower their guard when they saw who it was.

"Whoa!" Morty greeted in surprise. "It's nice to see you again too!"

"Hey Morty," Cap said slowly. "No offense, but we just had a rather...interesting encounter with the Elite Four yesterday. Sorry if we're a little tense."

"Fair enough I guess," Morty said. "Say, you wouldn't be the friends that Silver kid was talking about, would you?"

"Wouldn't say we're friends yet," Lisa replied.

"But we don't hate him," Cap added.

"Wow you guys really are on edge," Morty said, rubbing his head. "So...what do you need Ho-Oh for?"

"The bad guys have taken control of my friend Lugia," Cap explained. "I need help to set him free."

" 'Friend,' "Morty repeated. "That was you who helped in the Arshia Islands, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Cap said. "Now mind telling us why you're here?"

Umbreon barked in agreement while Espeon's eyes simple began to glow.

"I'm not here to fight you," Morty assured, reaching into his pocket. "In fact, I want to make you a deal."

The Gym Leader then pulled out a shining, rainbow colored feather.

_Outside..._

"Silver."

The boy looked up to see the very man he had been waiting for. "Lance."

"We have much to discuss."

"Trust me, you don't know the half of it," Silver told him. "Or maybe you know more than you're ever letting on."

Lance seemed uncomfortable. "Silver, I wasn't sure how to tell you. I'm still not certain why I should give you anything, considering your history."

Silver glared at him. "Maybe because I learned from you? Maybe because your Master took me in once he saw the influence you'd had on my life?"

Lance shook his head. "You wanted to destroy Team Rocket, so we were allies. Regardless of how you've changed, I can still see it in your eyes… much as you hate him, you want to become stronger than your father. I can't allow another Giovanni to come into existence before I've captured the first one."

Silver felt it once more; the irrational anger and desire to battle. He concealed it well with nothing but a steady glare, though he couldn't help but feel that on some level he'd disliked the prospect of his father brought to justice…

…at least, by anyone but Silver himself.

_Olivine City, the Dock…_

Henry turned, drawing his Pokeball at once. He spotted the red-haired man with the scar, recognizing him instantly.

"So, you decided to show yourself again," Henry noted. "What happened to that mask of yours'?"

'Lance the Dragon Master' grinned. "I gave it to Pryce. He didn't distract you as long as I'd hoped he would, but he served his purpose. Without the feather, I'm no longer bound to that nigh-useless Lugia."

Henry narrowed his gaze behind his shades. "Why did you want to get rid of Lugia?"

His foe did not bother to answer. "What do you care? All that you wanted was to fight me again; with one less Pokemon, you should have the advantage."

Henry placed a finger on the sphere, increasing the Pokeball's size in his hand. "Yeah, but that just means this won't be challenging at all."

'Lance the Dragon Master' laughed heartily. "I couldn't agree more."

_Birth Island… or what remains of it_

Mewtwo was already considerably weaker now that the battle had dragged on, but Deoxys showed no signs of fatigue. Mewtwo kept attacking, firing the energy stars of a Swift attack or the dark energy of a Shadow Ball, but this creature just absorbed all the punishment without effort. Giovanni had spared Mewtwo an arrogant comment, but the sight of his cruel grin was punishment enough.

Deoxys levitated upwards, combining its four tendrils into two longer arms, charging more energy between its red and green tips, to unleash another attack.

Mewtwo saw opportunity and reacted, charging energy between its own fingers. Mewtwo unleashed another Shadow Ball right onto Deoxy's own charged attack, and the two energies exploded upon the creature, again concealing it from view by the blast.

Once the attacks had subsided, however, Mewtwo drew back, stunned. Deoxys's form had shifted somehow, its body closely bent together to become smaller and stockier, with each appendage thicker than before. It didn't appear to have suffered any damage at all.

Giovanni laughed. "So, you see the reason I selected this creature over yourself, Mewtwo? Even though you were engineered to be more powerful than any other Pokemon, this creature surpasses you through sheer genetic code! It can transform into whatever shape it needs to sharpen its attack, defense…and speed."

Deoxys changed once more, its body becoming thinner and sharper, with its body's prongs extending outwards. The red and green creature darted through the air and slammed into Mewtwo like a bullet, flinging the other psychic type further up into the air. Deoxys followed this by transforming once more, charging energy between its thick tendrils.

Mewtwo focused out a single, powerful thought as the energy blast struck him. Mewtwo slammed into the already crumbling island, lying unconscious and defeated.

Giovanni stepped towards his prize and dropped a Pokeball upon him. Mewtwo could not hope to resist; instantly Giovanni had captured the psychic type. He recalled Deoxys and held the two spheres in each of his hands.

"Now, my friend… you will only have to serve me for a while. I'll release you eventually; once you've helped me capture the six Pokemon I need."

Somewhere, across the oceans of the Pokemon world, Mewtwo's final thought reached out.

_**Mew…**_

Back in Olivine City, Henry paused and turned towards the ocean. 'Lance the Dragon Master' raised an eyebrow. "And what could possibly distract you from battle?"

Henry turned to glare. "A cry for help."

"You continue to lie to yourself?" 'Lance' asked. "You've never cared for anyone but yourself!"

Henry returned his attention to the ocean. "No, I have. You just didn't want me to remember that." And without further ado, he called out his Pidgeot and hopped upon its back, flying out over the ocean.

'Lance the Dragon Master' smirked. "Excellent, then. I suppose I should capture the creature needed for the last piece of this puzzle…"

He called out Celebi and was gone just as quickly.

﻿"Cap?"

The young trainer blinked and looked about curiously, as if looking for something. He saw that his Espeon seemed to be doing the same.

"Cap, are you okay?" Lisa asked worriedly.

"Yeah, fine," he replied. "Just thought I heard something." He turned back to Morty. "What were you saying?"

"That with this feather," Morty continued, "Ho-Oh would be summoned, and obey your every command."

Cap and Lisa's eyes went wide.

"I know," Morty nodded. "Not the kind of power you can trust to anyone."

"But you'd be willing to trust it to us?" Cap asked.

Morty shook his head. "No. Only you."

"Why?"

"Because I've seen you battle, and I know that your Pokémon love and respect you. I saw the news coverage of both Arshia and Greenfield and know how bad it could have been if not for you and your friends."

"Family," Cap corrected.

"Exactly," Morty smiled. "And I know you wouldn't be looking for Ho-Oh unless things were really serious."

"They are."

"Then I will trust you with this, but on one condition. That after this is over, after you've rescued your friend and beaten the bad guy, you set Ho-Oh free."

Cap was taken aback. "Of course."

Morty smiled and handed the luminous feather over to the young man. It glowed briefly as Cap took it in his hands...

...and then the whole tower shook.

As if something heavy had landed on top of it.

"Do you remember how we met?" Melody asked as she watched the sleeping Dragon Master. "About how I wanted to travel with you guys because my sister would be pissed that I wrecked her boat?"

Sharon let a small smile escape the corner of her mouth. "Of course."

"Well, I wasn't kidding. That's the real reason I had to leave you guys after the first month. My family was pissed. I had two choices: being forbidden to leave home ever again, or at Henry's suggestion, study with this old man for a month."

"I was wondering why you came back with a Dratini," Sharon nodded. "And a much better attitude."

"Thanks," she dead-panned. "But yeah, I think you can figure out the cliché from there." She patted the Dragonite on the belly, who in turn patted her on the head.

"We'll find the bastard who did this," Sharon assured her. "We'll make him pay."

Clair seemed to scoff. "That should be easy enough. You share a bed with him."

Melody winced. "Not the smartest move you've made, lady."

Sharon turned to face the Gym Leader. "If you have something to say, say it. I don't play games."

"I'm saying that this is Henry's fault," Clair spat, glaring right into Sharon's eyes. "He may not have done the damage himself, but he brought it down on us! Now you and your--"

She was stopped was Sharon's finger was suddenly on her lips.

"Think long and hard before you continue," the younger woman said flatly, returning the glare with equal intensity. "Say what you will about me. I've probably deserved whatever venom you want to spew at some point in my life. However, you do not want to ever insult my family when I'm in earshot. If you do, I will break you."

She removed her hand, which prompted Clair to ask "And what makes you think you can?"

"I already have."

The Gym Leader's eyes went why and she stumbled slightly aback. "That...that was you?"

Sharon was silent in her reply.

Clair narrowed her eyes. "Then why should I trust you?"

Sharon shrugged. "Don't care. All you need to know is that whoever did this is trying to ruin what I've fought long and hard to build, and they will pay."

"And Henry?" Clair asked.

"Is my husband," Sharon replied evenly. "I'll deal with him myself."

"How?" Clair demanded.

"None of your business."

Clair was about to continue her protest but Melody put a stop to it.

"Oh come off it!" the young girl shouted. "You don't like Henry, we get it.

Hell, the jerk probably did do something to deserve it. So what? We're on the same #$ing side! Seriously Clair, what the hell?"

Clair blinked then turned back to Sharon. "So it's okay for her to insult your precious husband?"

"She's lived with him for five years, she's earned it," Sharon replied. "Besides, I'm not dumb enough to try anything with Andre standing right there."

The Dragonite snorted and glared down at the Gym Leader.

"...I see your point," Clair conceded. "And on the condition you allow me to tag along, I think I have something that may interest you."

Sharon was about to say she doubted that Clair had anything of interest to her, but stopped herself when she saw exactly what the other woman was offering.

"Holy $h!t," Melody whispered.

Cap, Lisa, Espeon and Umbreon stood dumb-folded, staring at the sight before them.

Ho-Oh, the Destroyer, the great flame phoenix of Legend, was perched in front of them, looking at Cap expectantly.

Slowly, Cap reached out and gently stroked the beast's feathers. "...Wow."

"Ya got that right," Lisa said amazed. "But...now what?"

"I guess we call Sharon and Mel," he said slowly, still in a state of shock. "Probably meet up somewhere..."

"Sounds good, but where?"

"...Hoenn," Cap whispered. "We need to get to Hoenn, find our way to Birth Island..."

"How did you...?" Lisa started to ask, but both trainers turned their gaze to Espeon, who inclined her head in a slight nod.

Lisa instantly activated her PokéGear.

"Hoenn?" Sharon repeated into the phone. "Sure, Lisa, I think we can find a way. And trust me..."

She held up the silver feather that Clair had just given to her. "...we're going to have plenty to catch up on when we get there."

_Birth Island, A Few Moments Later…_

Giovanni knew he was coming, so he drew the Pokeball at once. Maxie glanced at him, readying his own spheres. "What is it?" the Team Magma leader asked.

Giovanni smiled. "Another test for me."

The Pidgeot blasted through the clouds and soared over the sea, traveling faster than sound. Specifically, traveling faster than the cry of: "GIOVANNI!"

"Save your energy," Giovanni recommended to Maxie. "I have three creatures he cannot hope to defeat."

Pidgeot screeched to a halt and Henry the Fallen Master leapt from the bird's back and landed on the broken island, recalling his flying type and drawing another Pokeball, his sunglasses unable to conceal the hatred in his burning red eyes.

Giovanni readied his first Pokeball. "Shall we dispense with the usual pleasantries?"

Henry had already tossed his. "Thought you'd never ask." His Mightyena emerged and snarled, just as Giovanni opened his Pokeball and released a familiar purple-and-gray creature, vaguely humanoid with some cat-like features.

Henry's eyes widened. "Mewtwo?"

Giovanni extended his hand. "Shadow Ball!" Mewtwo glared forward and clenched its hands together, firing off the sphere.

"Mightyena, Poison Fang!" Mightyena leapt to its right as the Shadow Ball careened past as the wolf leapt towards Mewtwo, fangs outstretched.

"Aura Sphere," Giovanni replied curtly. Mewtwo outstretched its palms once more, firing off a ball of bluish energy, blasting Mightyena away. The dark type skidded backwards but recovered, snarling with a bit less ferocity.

"You managed to capture Mewtwo, I see," Henry observed, recalling Mightyena. "Let's see if the clone can keep up with the original."

Giovanni only continued to grin.

Henry opened the Pokeball. "Mew, let's go!" The tiny psychic cat emerged and floated between its master and Mewtwo, locking eyes with the familiar antagonist.

Mewtwo seemed utterly focused… its attention was entirely upon battle. There was no trace of any of its usual musing or hesitation to consider emotion. All it did was await Giovanni's instruction.

"Psycho Cut!" Giovanni declared. Mewtwo extended its left hand, forming psionic power into a bluish, flaming blade and charged, dashing through the air.

"Light Screen!" Henry responded, and Mew drew up a golden shield to block Mewtwo's strikes, and after a few failed hits, Mew had an opportunity to strike back. "Ancient Power!"

Mew concentrated and the scattered rocks around the island were flung forth. Mewtwo raised a Barrier immediately, creating its own defense to block the maelstrom of stones.

Henry and Giovanni prepared to make another command, when a blast of golden energy burst straight downwards, separating their two creatures from one another.

Both men instantly turned skyward as a familiar emerald green dragon descended, a red-haired man standing upon its head.

"Rayquaza?" Giovanni asked, astonished.

"You!" Henry shouted, spotting the figure and the green Pokemon perched on his shoulder.

'Lance the Dragon Master' laughed. "Four of the six Pokemon are now in place. Would you gentlemen be so kind as to surrender to me now?"

Henry snarled and readied his Pidgeot. Mew was already concentrating and levitating the rocks on the island.

Until Henry felt a powerful burst of energy strike his back. He flew off the side of the small, triangular rock and landed in the ocean. Mew instantly turned, just in time to spot Giovanni and a strange red-and-green creature at his side, outstretching tendrils to capture the tiny psychic type.

"Surrender is not something I bother with," Giovanni called. "But alliance –for convenience or necessity- is something I'm always ready to dabble in."

'Lance the Dragon Master' watched the ocean beneath him as Henry sank deeper beneath the waves. "Okay, then… tell me what your offer is, Giovanni."

Giovanni smiled. "Tell me the story of the six Pokemon, and grant me their power… and explain how it was you saved my life."


End file.
